MM Corncobs - Chewing Gum as Pipe Mud

[Usman]

Hi folks,

I've just bought a MM Night Rider Country Gentleman that's got a perfect black stain on the bowl and I'd like to extend its longevity as much as I can. I have read and heard that cigar ash mixed with water works very well as pipe mud. The thing is, I don't smoke cigars so I thought of alternative ways to achieve the same results, and one thing that came to mind was ....... chewing gum. Would chewed up and dried out chewing gum (covered with pipe ash) work as a kind of pipe mortar/mud and protect the bottom of the bowl? As far as I know, chewing gum doesn't get moldy and it's fairly pliable so it might just work.

What do you guys think? (BTW, I'm ready for the zingers coming my way )

Usman

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I don't think I would use chewing gum but who knows? You can use ash from a fireplace if you have any. Or pipe tobacco ash if it's pure ash. If not, hire a friend to smoke a cigar for you. Or, you could send me a Padron 64 Anniversary pyramid and I'll smoke it for you and send you the ash when I'm finished.

 

[HRPufnstuf]

Hi folks,

I've just bought a MM Night Rider Country Gentleman that's got a perfect black stain on the bowl and I'd like to extend its longevity as much as I can. I have read and heard that cigar ash mixed with water works very well as pipe mud. The thing is, I don't smoke cigars so I thought of alternative ways to achieve the same results, and one thing that came to mind was ....... chewing gum. Would chewed up and dried out chewing gum (covered with pipe ash) work as a kind of pipe mortar/mud and protect the bottom of the bowl? As far as I know, chewing gum doesn't get moldy and it's fairly pliable so it might just work.

What do you guys think? (BTW, I'm ready for the zingers coming my way )

Usman

You can always light a cigar and leave it to burn down, you will get the ash you want, without smoking it.

 

[Usman]

I don't think I would use chewing gum but who knows? You can use ash from a fireplace if you have any. Or pipe tobacco ash if it's pure ash. If not, hire a friend to smoke a cigar for you. Or, you could send me a Padron 64 Anniversary pyramid and I'll smoke it for you and send you the ash when I'm finished.

Thanks! That would be really nice of you :P

You can always light a cigar and leave it to burn down, you will get the ash you want, without smoking it.

I think it would go out really quickly if I don't smoke it.

 

[Usman]

I think flammability might be the only cause for concern. I'll also have to check if chewing gum can release hazardous fumes when it's exposed to heat.

 

[mso489]

I dearly love my MM cobs and consider them "permanent party" (term used to describe the permanent crew of a warship). They last for years and decades wilthout benefit of pipe mud or chewing gum. They are produced in vast quantities, so you could draw a clunker, but in general, they last. To buy a little insurance on them, buy five or six and maintain them well. I have some that are decades old and still looking fine. I don't consider them disposable by any means. I've risked them in traveling, but they are lightweight and good smokers, and I've never lost one.

 

[OzPiper]

I’m not up-to-date with cigar prices in the USA being some years since I’ve bought some online
But current prices in Oz are exhorbitant
You can buy 2-3 new MM cobs for the price of one (good) cigar

Smoke your cob to death.
Then buy a new one (or three) when that happens

 

[crashthegrey]

I have no idea about gum as mud. But I don't bother mudding cobs. Just smoke and enjoy. I don't think the finish will wear off.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Chewing gum base is generally butyl rubber these days. I wouldn't do it, unless you really want the "tire fire" experience...

 

[shanez]

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

 

[upnorth1]

I drill out the bottom of all my cobs and glue in a hardwood plug. I also remove the shank and cut it and reglue it so it’s flush with the inner wall of the bowl. I wouldn’t think chewing gum would make a good pipe mud. Is your pipe new or damaged? A mm cob will smoke well for years as is.

 

[GatorElGato]

Hopefully your pipes hold up longer than mine. I've had mediocre past few experiences with MM cobs. My country gentlemen literally fell apart after less than a dozen smokes. Stem just seperated from the bowl. I thought I got a bad batch. Then purchased an elf cobbit where I wasn't able to draw anything from the stem. Turns out they never drilled through the stem the entire way. Had a chunk of plastic lodged in the stem hole.

 

[WhiteCrown]

Pipe mud is not necessary at all, as others stated. I use it because I don't like digging out the leftover tobacco in between the shank and the wall at the bottom, but you probably don't even need to do that. My biggest problem with pipe mud is the last bits of leaves sticking to it when I try to clean it, and then using too hard of a touch and gouging out the mud. Pipe ash is worse for this, cigar ash is much better, and I think chewing gum would potentially be worse. You should try it and let us know! lol Cobs are cheap, get a Missouri pride or legend and experiment.

I don't think a tire fire is much of a risk, as you would have to somehow convince the ember to burn deeper than the hole in the shank when the air is coming in from the top. It usually goes out if you smoke the bowl down that far and you'll be sucking ash before/when that happens. When you get gray powder in your mouth, stop sucking! lol. Either way have a cup of water near by just in case I suppose if you are worried about it.

Also, Swisher Sweets cigarillos are only $2.99 for a 5-pack. If you can smoke medium blends, one of these shouldn't be much different than smoking a pipe, just not as good. Pretend it's a paper stem. Five will make you plenty of ash for several cobs.

Part of the joy of cobs is that, while they smoke great, you don't have to worry about messing them up and being out 50-150 bucks or more. Have fun with it! ...where is that Silly Putty? Its around here somewhere...

 

[TexJake]

I don’t know that I would give chewing gum a go here. Pipe mud is remarkably easy, even without the cigar ash. Just keep the ash from your pipe bowls, and make sure to either not include the dottle or separate it later.

With MM cobs, I usually chop out the shank extension that goes into the bowl and fill the bottom with a few layers of pipe mud, letting them dry overnight in between layers until I reach the draft hole.

Edit: as others mentioned, it may not be necessary, I do this because I remove the shank extension and I don’t want to deal with building up that 1/4”-1/2” below the draft hole. Some designs are worse than others in this regard. Plenty of folks just load em and smoke em.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Don't use chewing gum, please.
Throughout your pipe, dump the white ash into a container and just use it if you must. Though it's really not necessary to mud a cob (or any pipe for that matter). Just smoke slow early on.
Best of luck.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

I only mud my mm’s when there’s a hole in the bottom covered up with only the sticker. Alas this is often the case. I use pipe ash—not the finest ash either—and it has worked fine

 

[Green Hill Hermit]

I would say it's. A good experiment on ruining your pipe. Pipe mud is definitely not a requirement for cobs. The one I smoke everyday and have for years has not needed mud and it still is going strong. I would not try this on a MM but rather a cheap no name to see if it works for YOU. I would think once the gum heats up it would pose a problem with maybe jamming up the shank, think gum in hair. Try mixing pure pipe ash, no dottle with a bit of honey first. That might have more positive results. But hey. I guess WE won't know if it works until YOU prove it!

 

[bullet08]

Pipe mud is used for repairing crack, pit and so on. If your pipe is new, just smoke it. No need to fix things that's not broken. Preemptive repair isn't necessary. It's like giving Nobel price to someone for a future possibility. Wait.. That's been done before..

 

[didimauw]

Nah, just smoke it. I promise after a while, it will become round and smooth like a briar pipe.

 

[jhowell]

Just... NO!